Blog Optimization Blog

MediaWhiz Division AuctionAds Wins eBay Star Developer Award for ''Most Innovative Application-Buyer'' eBay Developers Conference

 June 21, 2007 - NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AuctionAds, a division of MediaWhiz Holdings Inc., today announced it received the eBay Star Developer Award for "Most Innovative Application-Buyer" at the sixth annual eBay Developers Conference. AuctionAds (www.auctionads.com) enables users to monetize their website by displaying live eBay auctions next to their related copy.

"We are honored to accept this prestigious award, which recognizes that AuctionAds is a successful tool for leveraging the lucrative eBay affiliate system, in a way that is easy for publishers to use," stated AuctionAds CTO David Dellanave.

"The eBay Star Developers Awards recognize developers for their innovation and commitment to the eBay platform," said Max Mancini, senior director of disruptive innovation at eBay. "AuctionAds was awarded for its efficiency using innovative caching techniques, allowing it to serve up 30 million impressions a month with only 200,000 API calls, an impressive volume of traffic per API call."

The eBay Developers Conference in Boston brings together more than 500 third-party developers, entrepreneurs and affiliates to meet with technologists and business leaders from eBay, PayPal, ProStores, Shopping.com and Skype.

About AuctionAds

AuctionAds (www,auctionads.com), a division of MediaWhiz Holdings Inc., users to monetize their website by displaying live eBay auctions next to their related copy.

About MediaWhiz

MediaWhiz is a leading online marketing company delivering a fully integrated solution for brand advertisers, direct marketers and publishers by leveraging its suite of marketing services to achieve measurable results. Services include affiliate marketing, lead generation, email marketing, list management, display advertising, text link advertising and search marketing. MediaWhiz delivers more than 3 million monthly leads to over 3,000 advertisers through its database of more than 100 million consumer email addresses and relationships with over 20,000 publishers. Private equity firm Lake Capital first invested in MediaWhiz in August 2005. Through acquisitions and organic growth, MediaWhiz has established its position as a leading provider of integrated marketing. More information on MediaWhiz is available at www,mediawhiz.com.
Contacts

Berns Communications Group
Joshua Greenwald / Megan Prock
212-994-4660

Search-Optimization.com's introduction search optimization marketing workshop that includes information on search engine optimization (SEO) and SEM Pay-Per-Click management in Orange County, Southern California.

Costa Mesa, California (PRWEB) June 24, 2007 -- This workshop is an introduction to search optimization marketing for Southern California marketing professionals and is the first in a series being presented by Search-Optimization.com on Thursday June 28, 2007.

The workshop will feature search engine marketing expert Gerry Grant, CEO of Search-Optimization.com, with valuable information on what search engine marketing options are available today. Gerry will talk about writing strategy, optimized content and leveraging your PR with SEO.

The workshop is designed for marketing professionals interested in enhancing their company's brand awareness, increasing sales and maximizing ROI through a strategic Internet presence and top search engine rankings.

Workshop attendees will learn the basics of search optimization marketing, including search engine optimization, pay-per-click (PPC) sponsored traffic techniques and web analytics to fine-tune online marketing for much higher return-on-investment (ROI).

The conference will cover alternatives to pay-per-click (PPC) marketing on Google and Yahoo! with an in-depth look at Microsoft's new PPC search engine MSN AdCenter, as well as using the "other search engines" to lower the cost per visitor. A discussion on PPC "Click Fraud" will be included.

Also covered will be search engine optimization best practices and top ranking factors plus a look at link popularity, search visibility, competitive web site analysis and keyword research. Local optimization techniques, Blogging, podcasting, online video marketing, social networking and Google Mobile tactics will be introduced.

According to Gerry Grant, Founder and CEO of Search-Optimization.com, ''This unique event is for marketing professionals and will serve as an introduction to future workshops. We will be covering strategies that work, and what to do when crafting a search optimization campaign for your company's web site.''

The conference is scheduled for Thursday, June 28, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Search-Optimization.com 3303 Harbor Blvd. Suite H-6, Costa Mesa, CA 92626. The admission cost is $58 and includes lunch.

To register or for more information about the "Search Optimization Marketing Conference" for marketing professionals, please visit: www.search-optimization.com http://www.search-optimization.com/seo-sem-events/marketing-conferences.htm or call Gerald Lee at 714-651-5699.

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Press Contact: GERRY GRANT
Company Name: Search-Optimization.com
Phone: 7148650222
Website: http://www.search-optimization.com/

'Doing Search' Only Counts If You're Seen

by Gord Hotchkiss, Thursday, June 28, 2007

I'M NOT MAKING ANY FRIENDS with Ontario Tourism. Two weeks ago I said in this column they weren't using search. I was quickly corrected by the tourist bureau's Nick Pedota, who told me my claim was "wildly inaccurate" and that Ontario Tourism in fact has "an extensive search program." But based on the following searches I did while in Toronto, Ontario Tourism didn't show for: Ontario vacations, Ontario resorts, Toronto vacations, Ontario getaways and Ontario holidays. According to Google Trends' keyword research tool, these are the most common searches for Ontario, by a substantial margin.

If You're Not Seen, You're Not Doing Search

Here's the reality of search marketing. It's one thing to say "we're doing search" internally -- and it's a totally different thing to have the searcher realize that yes, you're doing search. The smart thing to do here would be to give Pedota and Ontario Tourism the retraction they're looking for and say I made a mistake (which I did). But this proves too good an example of the disconnect I see all the time; managing a search campaign to budgets, not objectives. I stand by my original claim: Canadian advertisers aren't clueing into the power of search.

Nick wasn't really in a mood to share many details of the bureau's campaign, but he did share that they're were bidding on thousands of "targeted keyphrases" and were using heavy geo-targeting to focus on their prime markets (Ontario and the border states). He said that's simply "smart marketing". I can't disagree. It makes sense to target in on your best clicks first, especially if budgets are limited.

Where's the Money Going?

But in this case, are budgets really limited? Let me share some things I was able to dig up on Ontario Tourism's site. First of all, the tourist bureau is doing print (lots of print) and TV (lots of TV). The goal? To drive people to its Web site. Full-page 4-color ads are running multiple times in over 70 dailies and weekly newspapers and 9 magazines. One 4-color full-page ad in the Toronto Star would run about $54,000 (there's a certain amount of guessing here, as print rate cards are really a mathematical exercise in confusion and frustration). Circulation of the Toronto Star is 350,000 (on an average day). An excellent conversion rate for a newspaper ad would be 0.5% That means, ideally, 1,750 people would actually visit the Ontario Tourism website. Now, I have never in my life seen a newspaper ad convert this well, but even if it did, that would be a cost per visitor of $30.85. If the ad doesn't work that well, the average cost climbs dramatically. And you pay whether or not the ad works.

What People Actually Use

Now, courtesy Yahoo Canada and a recent survey, let's look at what actual travelers cite as the most important influencers in making travel plans. Search and Web sites are tied for number one and two, used by 51% of respondents in a recent survey. Newspapers and print? Only used by 7%. But yet, only 2.1% of Canadian ad budgets get spent on search, and 42% gets spent on newspapers and magazines. I couldn't get any specific percentages for Ontario Tourism, but one only has to look at their campaign page to see that search is very likely getting only a fraction of what's going to newspapers and magazines. And don't even get me started on the TV buys.

The Search Story

So, where is Ontario Tourism in the search results? As Pedota shared, they're only geo-targeting the prime markets, and then only for a 3-month period (April through June). Only 1 of the 7 highest traffic key phrases I found (using an Ontario IP) returned an ad or an organic listing for Ontario Travel (the site also hasn't been organically optimized). More specific phrases, like Ontario Summer Vacations or Ontario Wine Getaways, did return more ads.

But by bidding on specific phrases (even thousand of "long tail" ones) and not on the more popular ones, Ontario Tourism is catching less than 10% of all the people using search to plan a vacation in Ontario. And unless you're in the top-sponsored ad locations (which few of the ads I saw were) you're actually only being seen by a small percentage of those searchers (usually 10% to 30% of them) on the results pages you do appear on. So, according to 97 out of 100 people who are using search to find the official site for Ontario Tourism, the tourism bureau is not "doing search." By the way, you could maintain top spot in Google and Yahoo for all the top traffic phrases for less than $2 per visitor. Remember, that ad in the Toronto Star cost, at a minimum, 15 times that!

Again, let's recap. What's the purpose of the campaign? To drive people to the Web site. And not just any one -- THE official Web site of Ontario Tourism, the site most people are looking for on these key phrases.

And You're Spending Your Money Where?

Is it really "smarter" to ignore 97% of the people who are actively searching online to find you, so you can spend more money running ads in newspapers for the 99.5% of people who have no interest in your site at all? And the real irony here is that if people don't click on a search ad, you don't pay! Take a fraction of that budget from the Toronto Star and blow out the geo-targeting and time parameters and go for the high-traffic phrases. After all, there might be people in Saskatchewan or Nova Scotia that are planning a trip to Ontario. Or, perhaps they're planning their trip in September, or February. If not, it's not costing you anything. Try getting the Toronto Star to offer the same pricing model!

Is this really smarter marketing? You decide. The readership of this column includes some of the smartest marketers on the planet. Blog about this and give me your opinion. Maybe I'm missing something, but I've decided I shouldn't apologize for trying to get advertisers to spend money more effectively. After all, in this case, it's really our money they're spending. At least, it would be if I were an Ontario taxpayer. Something tells me after this column, it might be a good thing I live 2000 miles away. As I said, I'm not making any friends in Ontario.

Post your response to the public Search Insider blog.

Gord Hotchkiss is the president of Enquiro, a search engine marketing firm. He loves to explore the strategic side of search and is a frequent speaker at Search Engine Strategies and Ad:Tech. Check out his blog at http://www.OutOfMyGord.com

Search Insider for Thursday, June 28, 2007: http://publications.mediapost.com

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Our directory just got the following four submissions from an IP address located in the Ukraine, which just happens to be where the software company that produces WEB CEO Web Site Promotion Software is located:

Title:
Web CEO - Web Site Promotion Software

Description:
Web Promotion Software for Keyword Research, Search Engine Optimization, Search Engine Submission, Ranking Check, Link Exchange, and Traffic Analysis

Keywords:
web site promotion search engine marketing website management web traffic analysis search engine optimization

Category: 74

GoogleBay, Or EGoogle?

by Mark Simon, Monday, June 25, 2007
AS OF TODAY, EBAY WILL be turning its search ads on within Google -- ending a spat between Google and one of its largest advertisers that's drawn comparisons to a lover's quarrel.

But while the ad standoff may be over, the rivalry has really just begun. EBay and Google, after all, are starting to look more alike every day, and they're headed towards a very similar future. And as their turf continues to overlap, we'll see the eBay-Google spat as a lot more than a tiff -- we'll recognize it for the opening volley in the next great Internet war.

A quick comparison of where Google and eBay are headed will show you what I mean.

Google, the eTail Platform

The first point to consider is that search advertising programs aren't true advertising programs. They're platforms that connect buyers with sellers. Buyers request products or services, and they're shown suppliers who can fulfill those needs. Which suppliers are matched with a buyer is determined, largely, by auction.

And Google's Pay-Per-Action program pulls ads still further away from what we traditionally think of as ads. By driving a particular interaction with the advertiser's business -- be it an e-mail signup or even a sale -- Pay-Per-Action is closer to a shopping cart service or a CRM system than it is to an ad system. Ads tell buyers about businesses; Pay-Per-Action ads live, at least partially, within the businesses themselves.

Currently, Pay-Per-Action lives within Google's content network, not on Google Search. But the program is expanding: last week, Google launched Pay-Per-Action in 24 languages. Expect to see Pay-Per-Action on Google SERPs within the next two years.

Finally, Google Checkout -- Google's payment system and PayPal competitor -- allows Google to serve as the system through which businesses collect payments.

When you add it all up, you get the following picture: Google is a service that uses auctions to match buyers and sellers, and which creates an environment allowing an entire transaction to happen -- from initial contact to final payment. Which, to me, sounds a lot like eBay.

EBay, the Search Engine

If Google is becoming eBay, the same can be said in reverse: EBay is becoming Google.

EBay, at its core, is really a product search engine. Whatever you're looking to buy, you can find it in eBay's site search feature. A visit to eBay.com even places your cursor within the eBay search bar immediately.

Over the coming months, look for eBay to become still more like a typical engine. While eBay currently features search results based on auctions' expiration times, Bog Tedeschi reports in The New York Times that eBay is looking to deliver relevancy-based search listings, based "in part by how well sellers have been rated by other buyers."

Once eBay acts more like a typical, relevancy-based search engine, eBay -- not Google -- may become the new leader in the product search sphere. Google may stay far ahead in share of searches, but eBay has the power to gain far more conversions per search than even Google can. And it's conversions, not searches, that ultimately earn money for search businesses.

The Two Futures are the Same

It's not just that Google is turning into eBay, and vice-versa. Both companies are headed to a collision course in the new horizon of auction-based advertising.

Google's realized that, if it can sell one type of advertising in an auction, it can do the same with many other types of ads -- including print and radio. EBay, for its part, understands that advertising has become a new commodity, which means that eBay can sell advertising through auction just as it sells nearly every other commodity imaginable through auctions. Enter the eBay Media Marketplace, eBay's auction marketplace for buying and selling traditional ad inventory.

The Future is the Environment

Taken together, all of this spells a very different future for the business of search. If Google and eBay continue on their current course, the search business won't just focus on ads: it will be a business of automated sales environments, in which auctions serve as the gateways, but those environments reach every touchpoint from initial contact to sale.

As the current leader in search and auction-based advertising, Google clearly has an advantage in that future. But eBay is the leader in auction-based business environments, so don't rule it out.

Indeed, eBay is already giving Google a real challenge. The eBay Media Marketplace -- created at the request of major advertisers like Wal-Mart and Toyota -- already has a TV network partner in Oxygen. Google, meanwhile, is still talking about entering the TV business as a long-term dream. So whoever wins, both eBay and Google are in for a long, hard slog.

In its pro-Checkout "Let Freedom Ring" party, Google borrowed symbolism from the American Revolution to challenge eBay. By comparing eBay v. Google to armed conflict, Google may have hit closer to the mark than it realized. Google must have sensed that both parties are in for a long, hard slog.

Correction: Friday's Search Insider incorrectly stated the number of people in the U.S. who are members of a racial or ethnic minority. It is actually a bit more than 100 million, not 300 million.

Mark Simon is vice president of industry relations at Did-it, an agency for search engine marketing and auctioned media management based in New York. You can reach Mark at msimon@did-it.com. 

Search Insider for Monday, June 25, 2007: http://publications.mediapost.com
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Ever hear of Internet.com? Well I just got spammed by the company that is behind it, Jupitermedia Corporation. I got an email from Drew Jenkins whom I first thought was interested in discussing our joining their partner program which includes 130 sites. Well during our phone call, in which Mr. Jenkins admitted the email was unsolicited commercial email (SPAM). It turns out that to join the "Partner" program, you have to pay about $5,000 a month. Sounds like advertising or paid links, but not any kind of "partnership" as I understand the term. The list of partners they have is impressive. I wonder if the partners are aware that the company is using SPAM?

As I mentioned in my follow up message to Mr. Jenkins, if they have to use SPAM to get new "partners", it must mean that their advertising program really doesn't work very well, does it? I am just so shocked that a compay as large as Jupitermedia Corporation would permit employees to use spam in their marketing, but perhaps upper management doesn't know... yet! Here's the email I got:

ZoomInfo.com Cited by Nielson/NetRatings as the Fastest Growing Network.

Waltham, Mass. (PRWEB) June 25, 2007 -- According to Nielson/NetRatings, with 275% annual growth, ZoomInfo is the fastest growing network in the country, closely followed by YouTube at 271%. Now, through an agreement with Ask.com to serve syndicated ads across its business information search engine, ZoomInfo enables business-to-business marketers to have direct access to over 4.5 million unique monthly visitors. Marketers will now be able to target a highly coveted business audience, based on searches for product categories, companies, industries and more.

Enquiro, a search engine marketing firm that provides search marketing and usability consulting specifically tailored for B2B marketers, recently conducted an in-depth study of online usage by B2B buyers. Enquiro's research found that 63% of B2B buyers start with a search engine and 85% use a search engine at some point during their buying process. However, according to Enquiro, more than one third of those B2B buyers could not find everything they were looking for via traditional search.

In April, ZoomInfo unveiled its new ZoomInfo.com site to address the specific needs of business information searchers. ZoomInfo.com users are business people looking for comprehensive information on industries, companies, people, products and services. ZoomInfo delivers highly relevant results that are optimized for its business-oriented audience. Whereas traditional search engines treat a search for "enterprise router" as a set of keywords and return a mixed-bag of results, ZoomInfo's semantic search technology understands that "enterprise router" is a unique business concept - in this case a product - and returns a list of companies that compete in the enterprise router business.

With its partnership with Ask.com, ZoomInfo.com is opening a powerful B2B marketing platform to online advertisers. ZoomInfo's business users, coupled with the search engine's highly relevant results, create a high impact opportunity for B2B advertisers. ZoomInfo.com users average about 15.5 million business-oriented searches each month. Through the new relationship with Ask.com, B2B advertisers will be able to place targeted advertising next to these highly focused business searches.

"Until now, B2B search engine marketing has been drowned out by consumer keyword ads on traditional search engines," said Bryan Burdick, COO of ZoomInfo. "Enquiro's research proves that B2B buyers are committed to the process of looking online for vendors, but it's a painful process because traditional search engines don't cater to their needs. ZoomInfo understands this, and has delivered a search engine designed with the business user in mind. And now, we're addressing the distinct needs of B2B marketers who need to deliver their messages to a highly targeted, valuable, audience. In the coming months, we expect to announce more opportunities designed to help these marketers further reach that audience."

About ZoomInfo
ZoomInfo is a business information search engine used to quickly find information about industries, companies, people, products and services. ZoomInfo is used by sales and marketing professionals to identify business opportunities, by recruiters to locate talent, and by anyone conducting in-depth research about products, services and businesses. ZoomInfo's semantic search engine continually crawls the Business Web - the millions of company Websites, news feeds and other online sources - to identify company and people information which is then organized into fresh, comprehensive and objective profiles. ZoomInfo currently has profiles on nearly 36 million people and over 3.8 million companies, and its search engine adds more than 20,000 new profiles every day.

According to Nielson/NetRatings, ZoomInfo is the fastest growing network in the country, with 275% annual growth. More than 4 million people search www.ZoomInfo.com every month. In addition, over 1,700 customers, including Google, Yahoo!, Microsoft, Oracle, PepsiCo and 20% of the Fortune 500, use ZoomInfo's patented search tools. ZoomInfo is privately held and based in Waltham, Massachusetts.

Media Contacts
Kari Hanson, Director of Corporate Communications
ZoomInfo
781-693-7537

Rachel Labas, Senior Account Representative
Lois Paul & Partners
781-782-5000

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Press Contact: Kari Hanson
Company Name: ZoomInfo
Phone: 781-693-7537
Website: http://www.zoominfo.com

With prices starting at $499, iPhone shoppers may want to sell their old cell phone using CellForCash.com to help cover some of the cost.

Ocala FL (PRWEB) June 25, 2007 -- A May poll by research firm M:Metrics revealed that about 19 million U.S. cell phone users are ready to fork over as much as $599 for the new iPhone. CellForCash.com wants to help every one of those iPhone buyers pay for their purchase.

"Many people don't realize that their old cell phone has a value," says James Mosieur, CEO of RMS Communications the company that operates CellForCash.com. "The price of the iPhone puts it out of reach for a lot of people; CellForCash.com may help make it affordable."

CellForCash.com buys over 600 models of cell phones and with prices ranging from $5 to over $300 chances are your cell phone will have some value. For instance a Samsung T509 that T-Mobile gives away for free will fetch $21 at CellForCash.com. A Motorola RAZR v3xx that sells for $79 on the AT&T Wireless website is worth $63 when you sell it at CellForCash.com.

"CellForCash.com is a natural place to start when shopping for a new cell phone" says Mosieur, "in this market $20 could make the difference between getting the phone you want and settling for the one you can afford."

Selling an old cell phone to CellForCash.com is quick and easy and can be started before the new cell phone is purchased. Here's how it works. The user finds their old cell phone in the list of phones CellForCash.com accepts; they enter their shipping and payment information; CellForCash.com then sends them a postage paid box to return their old cell phone; after the cell phone is tested a check is sent. The whole process takes 30 to 45 days.

CellForCash.com wants you to be ready when the iPhone goes on sale on June 29th so they are encouraging shoppers to start the process of selling their cell phones now. "Cell phone shoppers can accomplish two things if they start right way. First they can see what their old cell phone is worth; second they can get a box on the way," said Mosieur. "Since the box will take a few days to arrive, it's a good idea to start their transaction just before they upgrade."

The market changes so quickly and new cell phone models are introduced nearly every week so there is a chance that your old cell phone has no value. In those instances CellForCash.com will recycle it for free or make it available to victims of abuse and senior citizens through their national partnership with the 911 Cell Phone Bank.

About CellForCash.com
CellForCash.com pays cash for used cell phones, and makes the process simple by displaying the phones it will buy and the prices it will pay for them right on the web site. It also provides sellers with already-addressed, postage-paid mailing boxes. The site lists over 600 models from 21 manufacturers including Motorola, Nokia LG and Samsung. For more information visit the web site at www.CellForCash.com.

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Press Contact: JAMES MOSIEUR
Company Name: RMS Communications
Phone: 352-369-3888
Website: www.cellforcash.com

Special rate is available for a limited time for the Denver, October 2007 conference focusing on local search and mobile search marketing; Peter Horan, CEO of IAC Media & Advertising will deliver keynote

Redding, CT (PRWEB) June 22, 2007 -- Search Marketing Expo - SMX Local & Mobile opened registration and announced its keynote speaker for this October 2007 conference.

SMX Local & Mobile is part of a series of conferences hosted by Search Engine Land. Conference co-chairs are Chris Sherman, executive editor, and Greg Sterling, Local & Mobile correspondent.

Peter Horan, CEO of IAC Media & Advertising, will deliver the keynote speech at the conference, which will be held at the Hyatt Regency Tech Center in Denver, October 1 & 2. Horan is responsible for the strategic growth of the IAC's Media & Advertising sector, which is comprised of local search leader Citysearch, IAC Search & Media businesses Ask.com, IAC Advertising Solutions and IAC Consumer Applications & Portals, and Evite.

Registration is open and seats are limited. A special introductory rate of $995 is now available at a $400 savings off the on-site rate. Thereafter, the price will increase to the full conference rate of $1,395 in stages. Individuals interested in taking advantage of the special rate can register at SMX Local & Mobile

"SMX Local & Mobile will focus on tactical solutions for marketers looking to learn more about how local and mobile search marketing affects their business," said Sterling.

Local and mobile search promises to be the next significant opportunity for interactive marketers. Predictions vary, but the consensus is that the market will support more than $8 billion in ad spending by 2010.

SMX Local & Mobile is a two-day conference with two session tracks each day. Sessions include:
•Community-Driven Local Search
•Managing a Local/Mobile SEM Campaign
•Pay-Per Call Ads: Living up to the Promise
•SEO Best Practices for Mobile Search
….and more

A complete agenda is available here: SMX Local & Mobile Agenda

Companies wishing to participate in Search Marketing Expo - SMX Local & Mobile as exhibitors and sponsors should contact Sean Moriarty at (203) 536-4004.

About Search Marketing Expo and Third Door Media:
Search Marketing Expo is produced by Third Door Media, Inc. Third Door Media's mission is to empower interactive and search marketing professionals by providing trusted content and community services they need to be successful.

Other Third Door Media properties are the fast-growing search marketing news and analysis site Search Engine Land, which launched in December 2006 and attracted more than 245,000 unique users in May 2007. The company also produces Search Marketing Now, a lead-generation marketing solution for suppliers of SEM-related products and services.

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Press Contact: Claire Schoen
Company Name: Third Door Media, Inc.
Phone: (203) 664 1350
Website: www.searchmarketingexpo.com

"And on the 29th day of the sixth month, when the sun was at its lowest point in the sky, the Phones appeared, one after another, each in its tasteful white box without any adornment whatsoever. And the People rejoiced, for they had been waiting a long time and could wait no longer. A great unboxing occurred across the land and many two-year service contracts were entered into."

Read more at: http://blogs.business2.com/netly/2007/06/the_one_true_ph.html

Classifieds on-the-go merges the two fastest growing technology segments--online classifieds and mobile phones

Woodland Hills, CA (PRWEB) June 19, 2007 -- Gumiyo and edgeio announced today their cooperation to bring online classifieds into the mobile space. Commencing with edgeio's extensive real estate section, Gumiyo will deliver listings to interested people on the go, making those listing accessible to mobile, online buyers. In seconds, buyers can review listings on their phones--photos and all--and connect directly with the sellers.

True to the company's tagline "Connecting Buyers and Sellers," Gumiyo gives edgeio sellers added methods, including text-messaging and web-activated telephony, that enable buyers to reach them directly from a mobile listing. Consequently, targeted listings are not only available to buyers anytime and anywhere, but sellers are available to those buyers anytime and anywhere. The result is the true goal of a classified listing--a connection between a buyer and a seller as quickly and as efficiently as possible.

"edgeio has built a significant classified listings platform. We have APIs for inbound and outbound traffic. Gumiyo is leveraging our APIs to deliver a compelling experience to sellers and buyers, across the mobile platform." Said edgeio CEO Keith Teare. "In the future it should be possible for Gumiyo to build mobile applications across all listings verticals, using MMS, SMS, WAP, Widgets and many other user interfaces."

"Our partnership with edgeio is very complementary and it makes perfect sense," says Shuki Lehavi, CEO and co-founder of Gumiyo. "edgeio is committed to innovation in the world of online classifieds, and has enabled a rich set of open APIs that we can use. This is a big reason why we've been syndicating Gumiyo listings to them since day one. Now, edgeio sellers can enter the mobile space with little to no effort."

About Edgeio
edgeio is a leader in online listings platforms. The company's vision is to provide an open platform that enables listings providers, advertisers and other content providers to interact with users across all platforms. Products include edgedirect, edgeio.com (and its Chinese sister site mulu100.com) and edgeio marketplaces plus a rich set of APIs. edgeio is based in Palo Alto, Calif. and was founded in 2005 by Keith Teare, the company's chairman of the board and chief executive officer, and Michael Arrington, a member of edgeio's board of directors. For more information see http://www.edgeio.com/

About Gumiyo
Gumiyo connects buyers and sellers by extending the traditional online marketplace to mobile phones. Always on and always connected, Gumiyo provides a marketplace that links buyers and sellers in real-time who connect, communicate, and complete the deal.

Founded by Shuki Lehavi and Rich Abronson in Woodland Hills, CA, Gumiyo is committed to revolutionizing the mobile consumer-to-consumer commerce experience. For more information please visit http://www.gumiyo.com/

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Press Contact: Richard Abronson
Company Name: Gumiyo, Inc.
Phone: 8184582025
Website: http://www.gumiyo.com/

Technology: How Cameroon Auctioned Its Internet Namespace
African Path - Minneapolis,MN,USA
According to the article, the brain behind it all is Kevin Ham, described as "the most powerful dotcom mogul you've never heard of"
http://www.africanpath.com/p_blogEntry.cfm?blogEntryID=1060

To Own The Internet
By SCUBILLOS
According to Business 2.0 magazine, Kevin Ham is the "most powerful dotcom mogul," after building a $300 million empire by bidding on successful domain names at auctions (like those at The Venetian in Las Vegas.) Even though the dot-com ...
- http://www.businessquickie.com/

The business of domain names
By Michael Tavani(Michael Tavani)
Kevin Ham is the most powerful dotcom mogul you've never heard of, reports Business 2.0 Magazine. Here's how the master of Web domains built a $300 million empire. And by the way chalklit.com, theyup.com (young urban professional), ...
Urban Eola - http://www.urbaneola.com/

Yahoo Outsmarts Google in Cameroon Domain Play ?
By ekwogefee
Kevinham In the June cover story of Business2.0, The Man Who Owns The Internet, I write about how a domainer named Kevin Ham struck a deal with the government of Cameroon to set up a wildcard -- a line of software code that reroutes all ...
- http://ekwogefee.akopo.com

The Ultimate Way To Get Rich From Domain Name Typos
By Luke
I read this article in Business 2.0 magazine the other day and was amazed not only by how many domain names Kevin Ham owns, but also by his ingenious idea to grab traffic for unregistered domain names. Basically, he struck a deal with ...
borloz.com - http://borloz.com

The man who owns the Internet
By michaeljung
The man at the top of this little-known hierarchy is Kevin Ham -- one of a handful of major-league "domainers" in the world and arguably the shrewdest and most ambitious of the lot. Even in a field filled with unusual career paths, ...
- http://michaeljung.wordpress.com

Looking for Google's Future? You Can Find It On EBay

by Mark Simon, Monday, June 18, 2007

THE GOOGLE worldview is a thoroughly binary one. There are Google users, and then there's everyone else. Google users are treated like royalty. Everyone else is a potential resource for users -- nothing less, and nothing more. That view has made many enemies for the Frienemy over the years. It's also made it the unrivaled information resource on the Web.

But times are changing.

As Google expands far beyond search -- and into a vast array of online and offline businesses, from TV advertising to software applications -- Google will need to think beyond the basic terms of Google services and users. It will need to think in terms of partnerships with a slew of different companies and organizations. To understand how drastic a shift that is, consider last week's spat between Google and eBay.

For a while now, Google has been looking to push Google Checkout, its PayPal competitor, onto the eBay system. In a move to flex its muscles so eBay would pay heed, Google invited eBay Live! conference attendees to a Google party, posted on the Google Checkout blog under the heading "Let Freedom Ring." In that same post, Google referred to the party as "a celebration of user choice." The "choice" here was the choice of different payment systems within eBay -- PayPal or, if Google gets its way, Google Checkout.

EBay was not amused. In retaliation, it pulled all of its monthly $26 million in spend out of Google advertising. Google hurriedly cancelled the party; but the damage was already done. As of this writing, the eBay ads have yet to return to the Google SERP.

The party seemed like an audacious move on Google's part -- but it was largely in keeping with Google's style. In the party invitation, Google presented itself as a solution that gives eBay users more choice. It's the old model of users, with Google's help, up against the rest of the world. It's not so different from the way Google ignores protests of news organizations, book publishers, and the occasional porn provider about Google News, Google Book Search, and Google Image Search (respectively) -- all by arguing that Google is providing a better end-result for search users.

But what Google has failed to grasp is that eBay is different. Google can antagonize news organizations, book publishers, and the adult industry, because it doesn't hold major partnerships with them. But eBay, as Google's largest advertiser until last week, was a true partner. And offending partners doesn't make for good business.

As Google looks to expand its kingdom in both scope and depth across the information universe, partnerships with other businesses will become increasingly important -- and there will be far fewer bridges Google can afford to burn. Consider, for example, how much Google will need to rely on the entertainment industry's help in making good on its $1.6 billion YouTube buy. If it wants to keep YouTube traffic long-term, Google will need the professional content that, in pirated form, currently drives so much of YouTube's viewership. To keep that professional content flowing, Google will need the help of the very Hollywood businesses that it's alienated since buying YouTube last winter.

Even Google's relationship with users themselves is becoming more complex. As Google looks to provide more and better search information, it's also gathering more personal information. As I wrote two weeks ago, the numbers aren't in yet on how comfortable the world is or is not with Google and privacy. But many users are bound to feel that Google is spying on them, and privacy issues will only become more serious as personalized search ramps up, while Google Street View goes full-steam.

The lesson here for Google is that it's not 1998 anymore. Google is no longer leading users as, together, they shape the infant Web into whatever it can become. Google is #241 on the Fortune 500, sells for over $500 a share, and is looking to expand far beyond its unrivaled leadership on a fully-established Internet. Google is no longer the maverick upstart. Google is the establishment.

I, for one, think that's great -- when was the last time such a smart, user-friendly company joined the establishment? But being part of the establishment means that you have a lot more friends to lose, that there are more toes you risk stepping on, and that consumers won't necessarily reward you as a friend -- they'll see you as a corporation providing a service.

And so a decade after it began, Google can't afford to act as a lone player anymore. If it does, we might see a lot more partners than eBay jumping ship.

Mark Simon is vice president of industry relations at Did-it, an agency for search engine marketing and auctioned media management based in New York. You can reach Mark at msimon@did-it.com. 

Search Insider for Monday, June 18, 2007: http://publications.mediapost.com

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eBay Alerts Make it Easier for Mobile Consumers to Bid More and Win More

LAS VEGAS, NV, June 14, 2006 - eBay today introduced eBay Alerts, an extension of eBay Wireless which enables users to win more listings on eBay even while on the go. eBay Alerts, unveiled at the fifth annual eBay Live! Community Conference, notify users with eBay listing updates through phone calls, text messages and instant messages, and allow users to bid on auction-style listings from their wireless devices.

"As consumers' lifestyles become more mobile, eBay Alerts help by driving more demand to our sellers and making it easier for our buyers to stay involved in the auction process before an item listing closes," said Eric Shoup, group product manager of eBay Wireless.

eBay buyers can elect to receive a phone call alerting them that three minutes remain before a listing ends. The service gives buyers an easy and convenient way to check an item's status or place bids by phone. This feature will be available in July and will be rolled out as a pilot program. The phone call alerts are powered by UnWired Buyer, provider of an event-triggered, voice-based e-commerce platform and a member of the eBay Developers Program.

In addition, eBay buyers can choose to receive bidding update alerts and bid on items via text messages on mobile phones. Known as SMS alerts, users can receive "outbid" and "item ending soon" text messages for any item they choose and can re-bid via SMS. There is a nominal fee associated with SMS alerts of $0.25 for up to 10 messages per item that will appear on the user's cell phone bill. SMS alerts will become available during the week of June 11th. VeriSign delivers eBay's SMS alerts in the U.S. using VeriSign's Intelligent Messaging Network.

Similarly, buyers can now receive "outbid" and "item ending soon" alerts using AOL Instant Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger, or MSN Messenger for any of the items they are bidding on. This service will also be available via Skype in 2007. As a part of this free notification service, eBay will send a link leading back to the item on eBay, where buyers can increase their bid if they wish. This service becomes available at the end of June.

At this time, eBay Alerts are available in the U.S. only. Links for all three methods have been added to item pages across the eBay site, so buyers can simply choose any or all types of alerts for a particular item. Plus, users can set their overall preferences in "My eBay" to receive a text message or instant message.

For more information, go to: http://wireless.ebay.com/

About eBay

Founded in 1995, eBay created a powerful platform for the sale of goods and services by a passionate community of individuals and businesses. On any given day, there are millions of items across thousands of categories for sale on eBay. eBay enables trade on a local, national and international basis with customized sites in markets around the world. Through an array of services, such as its payment solution provider PayPal, eBay is enabling global e-commerce for an ever-growing online community.

eBay is The World's Online Marketplace®.

eBay Acquires StumbleUpon

San Jose, Calif., May 30, 2007 - eBay Inc. (Nasdaq: EBAY) today announced it has acquired StumbleUpon, an early-stage company that helps people discover and share content online, for an aggregate transaction value of approximately $75 million. This acquisition will provide eBay with in-depth exposure to a fast-growing community-based service with approximately 2.3 million users. StumbleUpon gives people a new way to discover relevant and entertaining content based on personal preferences and community recommendations.

"StumbleUpon is a great fit within our goal of pioneering new communities based on commerce and sustained by trust," said, Michael Buhr, senior director, eBay. "StumbleUpon's downloadable toolbar provides an engaging and unique experience to its users, but it is the similarities in our approaches to the concept of community that make it such a compelling addition to eBay."

Driven by word-of-mouth, the StumbleUpon community has grown 150 percent year over year and delivers approximately five million new recommendations a day to its large, highly engaged user base. StumbleUpon allows people to discover Web sites, people, videos, product information, communities and other online content based on personal interests. By allowing its community to rate the content, StumbleUpon gets smarter as it is used and provides an increasing level of relevance over time.

Said Garrett Camp, chief architect and one of three StumbleUpon founders, "We're excited about joining eBay, as we share the same values around community and we look forward to working with them to accelerate our growth."

Buhr will serve as general manager of StumbleUpon effective immediately. StumbleUpon's current founders and management team will remain in their respective positions and will work with Buhr to enhance the user experience, evolve its unique product and grow the community.

eBay does not expect this acquisition to have a material impact on its financial guidance as issued in conjunction with its first quarter earnings release on April 18, 2007.

About StumbleUpon
StumbleUpon helps you discover and share great Web sites and videos. With approximately 2.3 million users and approximately five million recommendations daily, StumbleUpon is one of the most popular new ways to discover content on the Web. The company was founded in 2001 and is based in San Francisco. For more information, visit www.StumbleUpon.com.

About eBay Inc.
Founded in 1995, eBay Inc. connects hundreds of millions of people around the world every day through commerce, delivering fun, engaging and trusted online experiences. We are constantly finding new ways to empower people worldwide to explore, learn, shop, share and talk with each other. Since its inception, eBay Inc. has expanded to include some of the strongest brands in the world, including eBay, PayPal, Skype, Shopping.com, and others. eBay Inc. is headquartered in San Jose, California.

Forward-Looking Statements
This announcement contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding eBay, StumbleUpon and the expected impact of eBay's acquisition of StumbleUpon on eBay's financial guidance. Those statements involve risks and uncertainties, and actual results could differ materially from those discussed. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, risks associated with the reaction of competitors to the transaction, and the possibility that the expected benefits of the acquisition of StumbleUpon may not materialize to the extent expected or at all. More information about potential factors that could impact eBay's business and financial results is included under the captions, "Risk Factors" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations," in eBay's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006 and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2007 which are on file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") and available at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. All forward-looking statements are based on information available to eBay on the date hereof, and eBay assumes no obligation to update such statements.

Receivelinks.com, an Internet link exchange network, is offering 500 free points per month for three months to any member who adds a site worth at least 500 points. This is a limited time special offer, and it expires June 30, 2007. Internet business owners who want to optimize their websites and increase traffic and sales will benefit from taking advantage of this free, limited time offer. It's an opportunity to see how receivelinks.com can increase your sales and maximize the income potential of your website or websites.

Benton, AR (PRWEB) June 15, 2007 -- Receivelinks.com, an Internet link exchange network, is offering 500 free points per month for three months to any member who adds a site worth at least 500 points. This is a limited time special offer, and it expires June 30, 2007.

Link building is a search engine optimization tool that drives business to your website. Building link directories by hand is time consuming and tedious, and reciprocal link exchange programs yield poorer page ranking than sites with one way links. (One way links are links to your website from another one, without a reciprocal link being placed on your website.)

Receivelinks.com members accumulate points that are used to purchase one way links to their websites. The point value of a web site is determined by evaluating a number of factors, including search engine ranking, the number of link spaces provided, the number of searchable pages and the effectiveness of the website itself. Members can include multiple web sites and multiple pages within each website in their receivelinks.com accounts.

During the month of June, members who add a web site worth at least 500 points will receive 500 free bonus points per month for three months. Five hundreds points is approximately equal to 500 one way backlinks.

Receivelinks.com offers members greater control over their link directories than similar services. Members control the type, language and category of links on their web pages and control what sites their ads are placed on. Only web pages that meet strict guidelines are accepted into the receivelinks.com network; site administrators rigorously scrutinize applicant web sites by hand to ensure that members receive only high quality, current links. Spam, porn and other undesirable or illegal factors are excluded.

Receivelinks.com is a free service. Members earn points by placing links or ads on their web pages, and they use those points to "purchase" one way links from other members. Members can purchase additional links if desired and can earn points through referrals and subscription bonuses, as well as special offers like the one that is available June 1-30, 2007--500 free points per month for three months for every member who adds a site worth at least 500 points.

Internet business owners who want to optimize their websites and increase traffic and sales will benefit from taking advantage of this free, limited time offer. It's an opportunity to see how receivelinks.com can increase your sales and maximize the income potential of your website or websites.

Receive Links
http://www.ReceiveLinks.com/
Receive Links Forum
http://Forum.ReceiveLinks.com

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Press Contact: Billy Pearson
Company Name: Receive Links
Phone: 501-326-5310
Website: http://www.receivelinks.com/

Over 1 Million Potential Victims of Botnet Cyber Crime

On June 13, 2007 the Department of Justice and FBI announced the results of an ongoing cyber crime initiative to disrupt and dismantle "botherders" and elevate the public's cyber security awareness of botnets. OPERATION BOT ROAST is a national initiative and ongoing investigations have identified over 1 million victim computer IP addresses. The FBI is working with our industry partners, including the CERT Coordination Center at Carnegie Mellon University, to notify the victim owners of the computers. Through this process the FBI may uncover additional incidents in which botnets have been used to facilitate other criminal activity.

A botnet is a collection of compromised computers under the remote command and control of a criminal "botherder." Most owners of the compromised computers are unknowing and unwitting victims. They have unintentionally allowed unauthorized access and use of their computers as a vehicle to facilitate other crimes, such as identity theft, denial of service attacks, phishing, click fraud, and the mass distribution of spam and spyware. Because of their widely distributed capabilities, botnets are a growing threat to national security, the national information infrastructure, and the economy.

"The majority of victims are not even aware that their computer has been compromised or their personal information exploited," said FBI Assistant Director for the Cyber Division James Finch. "An attacker gains control by infecting the computer with a virus or other malicious code and the computer continues to operate normally. Citizens can protect themselves from botnets and the associated schemes by practicing strong computer security habits to reduce the risk that your computer will be compromised."

The FBI also wants to thank our industry partners, such as the Microsoft Corporation and the Botnet Task Force, in referring criminal botnet activity to law enforcement.

Cyber security tips include updating anti-virus software, installing a firewall, using strong passwords, practicing good email and web security practices. Although this will not necessarily identify or remove a botnet currently on the system, this can help to prevent future botnet attacks. More information on botnets and tips for cyber crime prevention can be found online at www.fbi.gov.

The FBI will not contact you online and request your personal information so be wary of fraud schemes that request this type of information, especially via unsolicited emails. To report fraudulent activity or financial scams, contact the nearest FBI office or police department, and file a complaint online with the Internet Crime Complaint Center, www.ic3.gov.

To date, the following subjects have been charged or arrested in this operation with computer fraud and abuse in violation of Title 18 USC 1030, including:

    * James C. Brewer of Arlington, Texas, is alleged to have operated a botnet that infected Chicago area hospitals. This botnet infected tens of thousands of computers worldwide. (FBI Chicago);

    * Jason Michael Downey of Covington, Kentucky, is charged with an Information with using botnets to send a high volume of traffic to intended recipients to cause damage by impairing the availability of such systems. (FBI Detroit); and

    * Robert Alan Soloway of Seattle, Washington, is alleged to have used a large botnet network and spammed tens of millions of unsolicited email messages to advertise his website from which he offered services and products. (FBI Seattle)

The FBI will continue to aggressively investigate individuals that conduct cyber criminal acts.

    Washington D.C.
    FBI National Press Office
    (202) 324-3691

YouCouldWrite.com will host a free live Webinar for writers and experts on Friday, June 15, 2007 at 3:00 p.m. EDT. The hour-long Web-based seminar will teach both authors and professionals how to write and disseminate quality articles that will establish their credibility as experts and help them make a profit. Anyone wishing to attend the Webinar can register at YouCouldWrite.com.

Phoenix, Arizona (PRWEB) June 14, 2007 -- YouCouldWrite.com (www.youcouldwrite.com) has announced that it will host a free live Webinar for writers and experts on Friday, June 15, 2007 at 3:00 p.m. EDT. The hour-long Web-based seminar will teach both authors and professionals how to write and disseminate quality articles that will establish their credibility as experts and help them make a profit. Anyone wishing to attend the Webinar can register at YouCouldWrite.com.
"The Internet has an insatiable appetite for content, but unfortunately there's a proliferation of shoddy writing on the Web," said Dennis Stack, President of YouCouldWrite.com. "Our tagline - 'Publish. Polish. Promote' - encourages writers and professionals to share their knowledge through quality writing, while at the same time teaching them how to promote their websites, products, and services."

To this end, YouCouldWrite.com will provide Webinar attendees with the tools they need to promote their writing. Bob Cefail, Chairman of In Touch Media Group, Inc. (www.intouchmarketing.us), a full-service marketing firm that specializes in developing cutting edge technologies that harness the power of the Internet to deliver superior marketing and public relations services to its clients, will be the Webinar's featured speaker. Cefail will discuss the mechanisms that drive search engine rankings, the rise of consumer-generated media, and the ways in which writers, consultants, and other professionals can profitably disseminate quality articles on the Web.

"Writers and experts need to be able to stand out from the crowd, and Internet users need to be able to find useful information," said Stack. "Our Webinar will help to accomplish both of these goals."

About YouCouldWrite.com:

YouCouldWrite.com is a vibrant community that is a convergence of people from all walks of life who have a common goal: Publish. Polish. Promote. Members can publish their writing, receive feedback on their articles, and learn how to establish credibility as experts in their fields. With a writer's area, a social network, and an online store, YouCouldWrite.com is the meeting place for those who want to share their knowledge and those who are eager to learn.

Contact:

Dennis Stack, President
YouCouldWrite.com
(480) 986-2103
webinar @ youcouldwriteabook.com
http://www.youcouldwrite.com

##=#

Press Contact: KRIS NICKERSON
Company Name:
Phone: (480) 986-2103
Website: http://www.youcouldwrite.com

A simple and free service, Contactify creates a unique link to a personal contact form, allowing visitors to send messages straight to your inbox, whilst never revealing your email address.

London, United Kingdom (PRWEB) June 13, 2007 -- The Contactify service, launched recently, was created in part to respond to the deluge of spam that is delivered to people's email addresses everyday as a result of their email addresses being harvested by spammers.

If an individual were to place their email address online, on a personal website, a blog, a forum or messageboard or even on social networks, within hours that individual would likely start receiving spam.

Contactify has created a simple and easy solution to this problem: a personal Contactify link.

Once created, a contactify link, such as http://www.contactify.com/1, links to a personal contact form. From here, individuals can receive email straight to their inbox, but never have to reveal their email address.

The service provides a solution to both spam and privacy issues, but also a direct solution for bloggers to have a means with which to remain contactable: "This is a great solution for blogs and other sites that don't offer their own contact forms" (Lifehacker.com 20th April 2007).

The Contactify form also employs a 'captcha' code which prevents the automated submission of the form, thus further reducing spam. If a user starts to receive unwanted email, they can simply either delete the contactify link and create a new one or modify the link so that the unwanted email is directed elswhere.

Furthermore, Contactify has also recently launched a widget, so that users can now place the contact form directly on their website (an example can be seen here: http://www.bhall.com/2005/06/contact.html). Contactify was recently invited to become a Certified Partner of Widgetbox.

Contactify offers a simple, easy and fast way to remain contactable, but to never reveal your email address; reducing spam and guarding your privacy.

The site has also been featured on some of the largest technology related media on the web, including: Techcrunch, Mashable, Lifehacker, Emily Change (eHub) and ZDNet, amongst others. Contactify was also featured as a 'Cool Site of the Day' by the Kim Komando Show.

Contactify is based in London, UK.

Contact: Ankur Shah
http://www.contactify.com

#-##

Press Contact: Ankur Shah
Company Name: Contactify
Phone: +44 203 227 0199
Website: http://www.contactify.com

GARTNER: Gartner Says Indian CIOs Must Consider Offshore Outsourcing

Gartner Says Indian CIOs Must Consider Offshore Outsourcing

Indian organizations feeling pressure of IT skills shortage and inadequate services standards from local service providers

Mumbai, India, June 11, 2007 - Indian organisations facing the daunting challenge of an IT skills shortage and "second-class" treatment from local service providers must consider offshore outsourcing to obtain high-end IT services, said Gartner Inc.

"India is witnessing a severe shortage of skilled IT resources at all levels of the IT personnel chain," said Linda Cohen, vice president and distinguished analyst for Gartner's IT sourcing group. Demand for skilled IT personnel by initiatives like the Indian government's recent national e-governance program (NEGP) and resource hungry Indian offshore service providers are outstripping local supply. Rapid economic growth in India is exacerbating the problem. Local chief information officers (CIOs) are finding it difficult to manage the shortage of skilled local IT resources as internal business units become even more demanding in the area of IT requirements and schedules.

"Local service providers lack adequate focus on the Indian domestic market, widening the demand-supply gap by not allocating enough quality resources for Indian customers," added Ms. Cohen. "Service providers typically allocate the best resources to their global flagship customers that pay in dollars and yield better margins. This is particularly true with Indian service providers".

India is undergoing massive economic growth. Gross domestic product (GDP) grew 9.2 percent in fiscal year 2006 (April 2006 through March 2007), which was second only to China among the major economies of the world. A recent Gartner survey conducted among more than 1,400 CIOs worldwide showed that IT budgets in India had the highest growth of 16.19 percent, compared with an average of 3.16 percent in the rest of the world.

These challenges and market conditions require Indian CIOs to look beyond the limits of their own geographical boundaries, much like their Western counterparts. Gartner predicts Indian companies will increasing go offshore in their sourcing strategies, which will result in outsourcing deals offered by some Indian companies that include higher end parts of service (for example, design and architecture, and business consulting) delivered from other parts of the world.

"This global sourcing model will become business-as-usual for Indian organizations," said Arup Roy, senior research analyst for Gartner's IT services market group. "Indian companies will increasingly source IT skills from nearby Singapore and Hong Kong. The market has already seen the first signs of this trend. For example, the Indian embassy outsourced its visa collection and delivery services to a U.S. company. Many Indian IT firms with operations spread across the U.S. and Europe are now outsourcing a part of their administrative work locally".

Gartner recommends Indian CIOs to:

* Develop innovative programs for retaining the talent they already have. Alternative sources of talent, such as recruiting from small and mid-tier cities, should be considered. Companies must invest heavily in training, even while knowing they will lose some of their training investment to competitors.

* Evaluate offshore outsourcing or staff augmentation from other parts of the world in their sourcing strategy. This will create a sense of competition among the local vendors, potentially increasing their focus on local opportunities.

* Consider Tier 2 and Tier 3-level Indian service providers for their key capabilities in various aspects of IT delivery. The right provider can provide domestic resources and perhaps a higher level of attention to issues and demands

Press contact:

If you would like to speak to a Gartner spokesperson or to receive further information, please contact Laurence Goasduff at Gartner Public Relations, on +44 1784 267 195 or email her at laurence.goasduff@gartner.com.

About Gartner

Gartner, Inc. (NYSE: IT) is the world's leading information technology research and advisory company. We deliver the technology-related insight necessary for our clients to make the right decisions, every day. From CIOs and senior IT leaders in corporations and government agencies, to business leaders in high-tech and telecom enterprises and professional services firms, to technology investors, we are the indispensable partner to 60,000 clients in 10,000 distinct organisations. Through the resources of Gartner Research, Gartner Consulting and Gartner Events, we work with every client to research, analyse and interpret the business of IT within the context of their individual role. Founded in 1979, Gartner is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, U.S.A., and has 3,800 associates, including 1,200 research analysts and consultants in 75 countries. For more information, visit www.gartner.com.

Gartner-palvelut Suomessa

Market-Visio on riippumaton ICT-liiketoiminnan ja -johtamisen neuvonantaja. Market-Visio yhdistää Gartnerin globaalit resurssit syvälliseen paikalliseen liiketoimintaosaamiseen. Market-Visio osallistuu asiakkaidensa toiminnan kehittämiseen tarpeiden määrittelystä tiedon hankintaan ja analysointiin, toimenpidesuosituksiin ja käytännön tukeen saakka. Market-Vision asiakkaita ovat mm. liiketoimintaansa laajentavat teknologiayritykset sekä teknologiavalinnoista vastaavat päätöksentekijät. Vuonna 1987 perustettu suomalainen Market-Visio Oy tarjoaa Gartnerin palveluita yksinoikeudella Suomessa, Baltian maissa ja Venäjällä. Yrityksen toimipisteet sijaitsevat Espoossa ja Moskovassa.

CONTACT:

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+358 9 2515 5105
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